Button



Patented .luly l, i924.

runrtrs rrscnr., or New Yoan, N. Y.

BUTTON.

Application led January 23, 1924. Serial No. 688,076.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JULIUs FIsCHL, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, of whichv goods, accoutrements, and in other places requiring a small durable button of more or less ornamental appearance.

Various forms of buttons heretofore vproposed for suoli uses have given varying degrees of satisfaction, but none have been entirely satisfactory. Buttons with wire Shanks imbedded in a body of fibre, pearl, vitreous and other compositions have been proposed which give desirable durability, but lack the ornamental appearance demanded. Other forms, with bodies of hard material such as vegetable ivory, having a headed wire shank inserted through holes drilled therein have been proposed, which, while to a degree ornamental, are laeking in strength and durability. In an effort to retain the ornamental appearance of the latter forms, with the durability of the imbedded shank forms, various imitation buttons have been made, in one form of which a headed pin is driven into the center of imbedded shank buttons, but this re* sults in a weakening of the button. Another form of imitation button has been evolved in which a central mound has been provided upon which a metallic coating or a lustrous metal cap is affixed by gluing or otherwise, or by springing a cap over an undercut groove. Such buttons, while retaining the strength of the imbedded shank type, are subject to rapid deterioration in appearance as the ornamental center cap is easily rubbed off or broken and for this reason the ornamental surface must be applied in a protected recess.

In the form utilizing the metallic cap, the undercutting of surfaces is difficult and eX- pensive, and a degree of accuracy in manufacture is required which makes the cost thereof practically prohibitive from a coinmercial viewpoint. The prior art is set forth in United States Patent No. 1,454,046, in which the forms hereinbefore mentioned are illustrated.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved imbedded shank type of button in which a better appearance, and greater durability are attained than in any form= heretofore proposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a button in which an ornamental surface is applied in a manner to strengthen the button, in addition to improving the appearance thereof.

Still other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention of which- Fig. l is a sectional view showing the but ton, without the cap appledthereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the cap before application to the button, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the assembled button. i

The button preferably comprises a body l of suitable composition, formed by molding or otherwise, with the ends of a loop shank 2 formed therein. An annular groove 3, together with a curved surface 4 is formed on the upper central surface of the button. rIhe curvature of surface 4 is made such that when the cap 5 is pressed thereon, the surface of the cap will assume a desired shape. Cap 5 is preferably of metal, lustrous, or otherwise attractive in appearance.

The radius of curvature of cap 5 is such that when it is set intoI groove 3 prior to the application of any pressure, a substantial space exists between surface 4 and cap 5, the inner surface of. cap 5 being arched clear of surface 4. Cap 5 is preferably shaped so that the portion 6 which fits into groove 3 has a slight outward flare. In practice an angle of 2O as shown in Fig. 2 has given excellent results, but this flare is not absolutely essential and may be modified or even eliminated. A corresponding angle or flare is preferably formed on the inner surface of groove 3, as shown in Fig. l. To apply the cap, it is set into groove 3 as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and then pressure is applied thereto until the cap is forced into the position shown by the full lines in Fig. The application of pressure in this manner spreads the circumferential edge of the cao outward and imbeds it securely in the bo y l. This imbedding llo - protecting 'ridges as in the buttons of the prior art. The setting is furthermore such that the cap may be buffed or polished if desired to .renew the attractive appearance in use.

As set into the material of the button, cap

y v confines, compresses, and reinforces the material in the center thereof. This re-inforcing or strengthening effect tends to prevent splitting of the button and extends do-wnward through the material beyond the bottomof lthe cap. The loop is provided with ends 7 and -8 which are bent, as shown in Figs. l and 3, and preferably extend upward into the zone of material re-inforced, strengthened :and compressed by cap 5, in this manner giving a stronger button in which a tendency to split along the centers is to a large extent obviated. It will `be nnderstood, however, that lends 7 and 8 may r be fla-red in such a manner as to reach into shown, it will be clear, that variations in the structure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having shown and described a preferred `embodiment of the invention, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent and claimed as new is:

l. A button comprising a body portion, a shank with a portion thereof imbedded in said body portion, and a reinforcing structure imbedded in said body portion in a manner to strengthen the button in the region weakened by imbedding the portion of said shank therein.

2. The button as set forth in claim l in which said reinforcing structure is ornamental in appearance and is applied to the centersurface area of said body.

.3. A button comprising a body portion, a shank comprising a loop with the ends thereof embodied in said body portion, and an ornamental reinforcing structure applied to the central outer part of said body surface in a manner to strengthen said body portion against a tendency to slilit'caused by the embodying of the ends ot' said loop therein.

4. A button comprising a body portion, a loop shank with the ends thereof imbedded in said body portion and a cup shaped metallic cap pressed into the center part of said body portion.

n testimony whereof, I -afiix my signature.

JULIUs riscnn 

